Joey Graziadei Is The Greatest Bachelor In The History Of The Franchise (SPOILERS)
Last night, Bachelor Nation gathered around our proverbial campfires bouquets of red roses for the conclusion of, top to bottom, the greatest season of The Bachelor we have ever seen. It wasn't rich with drama, as we've become accustom to over the years, but it flooded us with something much, much more difficult to come by - MATURITY.
From the start, it seemed as if our precious himbo King Joey Graziadei was impervious to mistakes. He was kind, he listened to the women, he was extremely apathetic about any sort of drama the girls wanted to bring into the equation, and his goal was undoubtedly to fall in love. We watched him navigate every episode with ease, to the point where we had to start wondering - was this man made in a lab?
He ended the season with two beautiful, respectful women, and ultimately chose Kelsey to be his bride. Before this, Daisy (the runner up) knew that Joey's love for Kelsey was so strong, that she graciously bowed out. It was met with compassion, understanding, and will go down in history as the most mature move/conversation that's ever happened in Bachelor history. Endless grace and class from all around.
I'll let you guys check out the finale for yourselves, but I've got to say - what a breath of fresh air. A full season with a happy ending, minimal bumps in the road, meaningful conversations, and nobody looks like the bad guy at the end of it? ABC heard our cries, and they delivered. Bachelor Nation has been starved for something that feels "real" - we love reality TV, but we can get the fights and drama legitimately anywhere else. We wanted a real love story between two kind, smart, hot people, and we got it. Ben Higgins is shaking somewhere now that he's been dethroned by the new King of the Bachelor, Joey.
As far as the new Bachelorette announcement….it was strange!
After 3 separate fakeouts that it would be runner up Daisy, Jesse Palmer brought out Jenn. I like Jenn. I think she's hot. I said as much throughout our entire season of Cutting Stems, but I won't lie and say I ever once thought of her as Bachelorette material. Everyone knows this year, the shining star was Maria:
It seems as if Maria may be on the fast track to being the next Tyler Cameron - the Bachelor needing her, more than she needs the Bachelor. I personally would've LOVED to see Maria take this top spot but as we all know, its impossible to hit 100% when it comes to The Bachelor/Bachelorette. We were blessed with Joey, and now we have Jenn, who has some tough shoes to fill. WE SHALL SEE!
Overall, I think we've learned that we've reached our limits of "trash TV." The Golden Bachelor brought back a lot of those feelings of earnest, and transitioned straight into one of the most legitimate seasons of this show we've seen in years. The tone is shifting - we want love, not drama. At least where The Bachelor is concerned!